A/N: Hi. I'm still here. Ish. I meant to post this last week but shit happened, okay? Anyway. Trying to think if I need to say anything else... Oh yeah. So how about Hunter? Good guy? Bad guy? What do you think?

Chapter Ten.

When Nick woke up, it was several hours later, not that there was any way for Sebastian to have kept track of time. His and Nick's phones were both in Hunter's backpack for whatever reason, and neither had remembered to put on a watch that day.

"Hey," Sebastian said, dully, to Nick. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Nick said. "I had a weird dream. Jeff turned back into a mermaid, and Hunter took us hostage because he's been a bad guy this whole time." Sebastian looked up at Nick, and Nick realized. "Not a dream, huh?"

"Nope," Sebastian said.

"I can't believe Hunter would just betray us like that," Nick said. "We believed him. We trusted him. Jeff trusted him."

"He said he's going to get us home safe," Sebastian said. "But I don't see how he can risk not killing us now, we know too much."

"What are you holding?" Nick asked.

"Um… It's Hunter's thumb," Sebastian said. Nick stared, eyes wide, mouth open. "He gave it to me so we can escape."

"Won't people notice he's missing a thumb?" Nick asked. "How do you even live without your thumbs? You couldn't play video games."

"He must have grown it back," Sebastian said. "This is all a little too real for me."

"How are we supposed to escape? We're on a boat," Nick pointed out.

"He gave me directions to a different room, I guess, I don't know if I trust him anymore," Sebastian said.

"He's still our friend," Nick said. "He's risking his life to keep us alive. It's only because of him we've made it this far."

"Yeah, you're right," Sebastian said. Nick clambered to his feet.

"So. Where's this room?"

"Shh," Sebastian lamented as the door to their cell buzzed loudly and opened. "Okay, up one level…" Sebastian looked uselessly around for stairs, finally spotting them through another door. Thankfully, that door did not buzz when it opened. "Come on, Nick," Sebastian whispered, hurrying Nick through the doorway and onto the stairs.

"If Hunter would stop knocking me out every couple of hours, I might be able to stay on my feet," Nick hissed back as he and Sebastian raced up the stairs.

"Then all the way to the stern of the boat. Which way is stern?" Sebastian asked.

"Back," Nick said.

"I know that but which way from here!" Sebastian insisted, looking left and right. Nick looked at the sign next to the stairwell, which proudly boasted 'Starboard Stairwell'.

"Starboard is … right, so we're on the right side of the ship, so if we turn left and go all the way down, we'll be in the stern," Nick deduced. "I hope." Sebastian and Nick did that, and Sebastian didn't waste any time opening the door to the furthest room and rushing Nick inside. Only after the door had shut behind them did they look around.

"First mate's quarters," said a voice, in answer to their unasked question. "You made it." It was Hunter, of course. "I imagine you're hungry, though, there's plenty of food, help yourselves."

"What did you do to it?" Sebastian asked, suspiciously.

"I licked it," Hunter said, sarcastically. "Seriously?" Sebastian tossed Hunter his thumb and then sat down at the table to eat. "Nick? You really should eat something, you've had way too many sedatives, you need something in your stomach." Nick reluctantly sat down to eat as well. "I really want to explain myself to you, and I want you to hear me out."

"Since we're being held hostage and you're the only thing keeping us alive, I don't think we have a choice," Nick snarked.

"Nick, I am so sorry about this," Hunter said.

"That means nothing to me," Nick glared.

"Just listen to me," Hunter said. "I was seventeen, I was stupid, and I was just plain scared. My whole life I'd never been interested in harming anyone, I'd never agreed with what my father and uncles and even my brother did. My father – he can be remarkably controlling when he wants to be. He basically told me if I didn't take this job, it would be my life. I never thought anyone would get hurt. At first, I was just being myself, my father didn't want anything but information. Everything that happened in high school, that day with the mermaid in the bathtub, that was all genuine me. The day Jeff became humanish, that was genuinely me. My father had directed me to give him a potion – one he and my uncle had perfected to turn a mermaid into a Hunter, 100 percent. I gave Jeff a different potion, one I'd made myself and wasn't quite sure of, and thank God it worked. I managed to play it off like Jeff was too pure to become a Hunter, and I honestly think he is, not that I'd ever try it."

"Why would you go along with him in the first place?" Nick asked.

"He would have had me killed," Hunter said.

"Then you should have died rather than betray your friends!" Sebastian shouted angrily.

"Okay, calm down, I'm not Peter Pettigrew," Hunter said, making a calm down gesture. "I haven't been the best friend, I know, but I will get you home, safe and alive. I'm not trying to pretend like I've been the perfect friend, and God knows I haven't been the perfect Hunter. But not all mermaids are saints either. My father and Jeff's father, King Caspian, they had a deal. A deal. Like honestly? A deal? This is the stupidest fucking shit I've ever heard in my whole life, I know right?" Nick stared at Hunter, a little confused, but didn't interrupt. "Caspian hired my father to kidnap and execute the Queen, to give him total control over the city, to flush out whoever didn't agree with him. That's something Jeff and I have always had in common – our fathers don't like us as much as our brothers. I think we may have bonded over that in a way. Once, I told you I'd do anything to not be a Hunter anymore."

"And if you do this, you won't be a Hunter anymore?" Nick asked.

"I wish," Hunter said. "I can only hope my father will praise the job I've done and give me the recipe for the one potion I want more than anything."

"Does he have that kind of potion?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he does."

"If that's what you want, then I think you should have it," Nick said. "I can't even imagine what it would be like to fight your own instincts every second of every day."

"It's hell. It's everything I deserve. Fuck, I deserve way more bullshit than this. I hate myself," Hunter said.

"What are we even doing here?" Sebastian asked.

"I honestly didn't know Conrad would be here," Hunter said. "I should never have brought you two here."

"Because you never wanted us to find out you've been working for our enemy this entire time?" Nick asked.

"No, I knew that would come out sooner or later, especially since Jeff's known forever," Hunter said. "I never meant for it to endanger your lives. I care about you guys."

"Funny way of showing it," Sebastian muttered.

"You can go back to the brig and sit in your tiny little cell and starve to death if you want to," Hunter snapped.

"Who's to say you won't just knock us out and put us back down there anyway?" Nick asked, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, I do have to knock you out one more time," Hunter said. "But I was going to ask permission this time."

"What?" Nick asked.

"I need the information Jeff stored in your head," Hunter said.

"Like an answering machine?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, just like an answering machine," Hunter said. "I mean, I can get it out when you're awake, but it'd hurt a whole lot. It would probably just be easier to–" He didn't wait for anyone to say anything, just pulled his last syringe out of nowhere and Nick slumped in his chair.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't want to hurt him, he's only human, I could accidentally fry his brain if I'm not careful," Hunter said.

"I'm only human," Sebastian said.

"But you're not weak-minded," Hunter finished. "Be quiet a minute." Hunter took Nick's head in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. It was quite a few minutes later when Hunter looked back up at Sebastian.

"What?" Sebastian asked.

"It's bad. It's really bad."

If you've ever played sort-of violent video games, or watched sort-of violent movies, there's usually always that scene where everything is going to heck and the city is in flames.

Well, that's what Sterling City would look like… if it wasn't underwater.

Jeff, Alexis, and Liz were just beyond the walls of the city, looking around. The once-beautiful Sterling Gate was hanging off its hinges – not that it had ever served any practical purpose, when the inhabitants could just swim over the gate, but it had been very beautiful, and some asshole had decided to knock it down. Same with most of the surrounding wall.

"This is bad, this is so bad," Alexis said.

"Not to mention there's still a huge reward out for us," Liz pointed out. The reward poster glimmered on what was left of the wall.

"We just have to find Mom," Jeff said. "She has to be here somewhere."

"Psst," came a quiet voice from behind them. Jeff whipped around.

"Emilie?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, of course, who else would it be?" Emilie asked. "Over here." She gestured for the other three to follow her. It was probably half a mile before she stopped and directed them into an underwater cave. Inside the cave were three other female mermaids and one male mermaid and they all smiled when Jeff, Alexis, and Liz swam in with Emilie.

"Mom!" Jeff exclaimed happily, swimming over to hug her. "You're okay!"

"And you're stupid," Emilie said to Jeff. "Why did you come back?"

"How could I not?" Jeff asked. "You obviously need us." Jeff looked around, recognizing all of his sisters and then stopping when he saw – "Ethan?"

"Hi," Ethan said quietly. "I was wondering if you'd recognize me."

"You haven't changed a bit!" Jeff exclaimed, hugging him as well. "What are you doing here? Where have you been? I can't believe you're still alive!"

"I was on land for a while, Paris, nice place, hated every second of it… until I met a guy," Ethan said with a slight blush.

"I met someone too, it's okay," Jeff said.

"Europe is crawling with Hunters again, though," Ethan said. "Can't trust anyone. The only way I knew I could trust him is… he knows you."

"I don't know anyone in Paris – Oh! Sebastian!" Jeff smiled. "How is he?"

"Horrible, I bet, I've been gone four months, can't even get a message to him," Ethan said.

"That's the worst," Jeff said sadly. "One of my best friends actually is a Hunter, but he's actually alright, and I can get a message to him if I need to."

"You're friends with a Hunter?" Emilie asked. "Good fuckin hell, Jeff, are you insane? First you go off and fall in love with a human, then you befriend a Hunter? What kind of mermaid are you?"

"I don't know," Jeff shrugged. "Hunter's okay. He's not out to get me or anything."

"Tell me he's a Clarington and I'm not speaking to you for a week," Emilie threatened.

"I didn't tell you that," Jeff replied. Emilie let out a frustrated sigh. "What?"

"What?! I'll tell you what. With you gone, I not only had to keep Arielle and Anastasia out of the way of the total war going on out there, but I have to head up the resistance by myself and do you know how hard it is to convince people to turn against their own King? No one sides with the Princess, Jeff, no one."

"They wouldn't have sided with me if I was here," Jeff said. "Nobody liked me even before I ran away."

"They did 70 years ago," Emilie reminded him. "The entire kingdom turned out for your engagement ceremony, if you don't recall."

"Engagement ceremony?" Alexis asked. "You weren't old enough to be engaged 70 years ago."

"I was 250," Jeff said frowning.

"Who would you even marry, it's not like there's a huge population of gay–" Alexis began, but then she stopped, looking between Jeff and Ethan. "Ohh."

"This is Alexis, I don't believe you've ever met," Jeff introduced Ethan. "And my youngest sister, Liz." Liz waved. "She's just a baby."

"I'm 28," Liz muttered.

"Oh, my Gosh, you're a baby!" Ethan exclaimed.

"How old are you, then?" Liz retorted.

"386," Ethan said. "A little old for Jeff, but we made it work." He winked at Jeff, who laughed. "A lot old for Sebastian." Jeff snorted and then he and Ethan were laughing, sinking to the floor of the cave.

"Immature," Emilie said, rolling her eyes. "Alright, this is what we know."

"Captain Clarington, the Hunter, made a pact with our father, the King, thirty-something years ago," Jeff cut her off, returning to the gravity of the situation. "The Captain was to kidnap, and then, I can only imagine, execute, Mom." Kiara nodded gravely. "It didn't go entirely to plan, because after Mom escaped the raid with Alexis, the Captain told Dad that Mom had been killed in the raid… which was a lie, and, when Mom came back to the city 13 years ago, effectively started a civil war, without even mentioning the fact that Liz is half-Hunter, which she was imprisoned for at the age of a mere 15."

"But 15 in human years," Alexis pointed out.

"Shush, I want the sympathy," Liz said.

"Meanwhile, our wonderful Queen Kiara is a gorgeous 1196 and still popping out babies," Jeff said. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, dear," Kiara responded.

"Anyway, the war," Jeff said. "Em, I am so sorry for running away."

"I don't really think you are," Emilie replied.

"If it makes you feel any better, I almost died getting away from here," Jeff said.

"Why would that make me feel better?" Emilie asked. Jeff shrugged.

"Where's Eric?" Alexis asked, changing the subject.

"The Prince is keeping up his princely duties, acting like nothing's wrong, and getting ready to ascend to the throne," Emilie said. "And I literally can't believe I'm related to him."

"Father always did like Eric best," Arielle said, fairly. "Only makes sense he'd take the first-born to groom into a backstabbing asshole like himself."

"Don't talk about your father that way," Kiara reprimanded. Arielle rolled her eyes. "Okay, you can talk about him a little bit."

"What's our gameplan?" Jeff asked.

"To end the reign of terror and put Mom back on the throne," Emilie said.

"I've told you, dear, you deserve the throne," Kiara said.

"Jeff's the oldest," Arielle pointed out. "And he's a man."

"That's true," Emilie conceded. "Alright, we put Jeff on the throne."

"That's very funny, Em," Jeff said. "Because we both know when this is over and you're on the throne, I'm going home to my husband and our life in Ohio."

"You're not going back on land," Emilie said, very seriously. "We need you here."

"I can't just leave Nick," Jeff said.

"The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake," Liz sang, happily swimming in circles. "You dream about going up there but that is a big mistake. Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor, such wonderful things surround you, what more is you looking for?" Then she noticed everyone staring at her. "What?"

"Under the Sea," Jeff and Alexis joined in. "Under the sea!"

"Darling it's better down where it's wetter, take it from me!" Ethan and Liz sang.

"Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while we devoting full time to floatin under da sea!" Liz sang.

"I don't know what the hell is going on," Emilie said, "but they're very right, nonetheless. He's just a human. You're a mermaid."

"He's not just a human," Jeff said defensively. "He's–" But what Nick really was, Emilie didn't find out because Jeff started screaming in agony and sunk to the floor of the cave.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, immediately swimming down to Jeff. "What's happening?"

"It's the Hunters. They're here."

The bell on the ship rang out.

"We're here," Hunter said to Sebastian. Nick was still zonked, asleep in Hunter's bed. "This is as close as the boat can get without detection."

"So, what, you weigh anchor and go in on foot?" Sebastian asked, partially kidding.

"Pretty much," Hunter said. He opened his closet and there was a wetsuit.

"Oh, I was really actually very kidding…" Sebastian said, eyes widening.

"Hunter?" a voice crackled through the room. Sebastian looked around, startled, but Hunter seemed to understand the concept of intercom.

"Yeah?" Hunter replied, frowning.

"Mind the boat. We're going down," Conrad's voice said.

"Mind the b– Are you kidding me?" Hunter asked.

"You're too close to this and you're not to come down," Conrad said.

"The hell I'm not," Hunter said.

"It's not up for negotiation," Conrad said. "Stay on the boat." The intercom crackled off and Hunter looked in horror to his left, where a rope of magic was forming around Hunter's wrist, connecting to the wall of the room. Hunter tried to run away from the magic but it followed him, soon turning from bare magic into a steel chain, as magic often does. Follow you, that is. Not turn into a steel chain.

"Ugh!" Hunter shouted. "My whole life I've been training for this and he leaves me on the fuckin bench." Hunter pulled at the chain uselessly. It was a solid chain without even a lock, each link connecting to another until it linked to the wall.

"Now what?" Sebastian asked.

"Now I send a little message to Jeff. The Hunters are coming, he'll need time to prepare." Hunter sat on the floor of the room – not many other places he could reach now – and closed his eyes, concentrating hard.

Jeff. Jeff, are you down there?

Hunter? Is that you?

They weren't sure how it worked, but Jeff and Hunter were able to communicate telepathically since Jeff had taken the potion Hunter had given him.

Yeah, it's me. How're things?

I suppose they could be better, what's going on? Jeff asked.

The Hunters. They're coming for you and the whole damn city.

It's finally come out, then, Jeff conceded. Everyone knows?

Everyone knows, Hunter replied. I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry too. You were the best friend I ever had.

And you were mine. I can't come down and help, my brother has me magically imprisoned on the ship.

A ship? Goddammit, Hunter, I told you to stay in Ohio and keep Nick safe.

Nick's safe. Sort of… Hunter shot a quick look over at Nick, still passed out on the bed, before continuing their conversation. I wish I could help. Conrad would never see it coming. He's completely convinced I'm on his side.

Magically imprisoned how? Jeff asked.

Magic chain. Cutting it would be a waste of time, it would just magic back together.

"What about cutting your hand off?" Sebastian asked. Hunter looked up at him.

"Can you hear us?" Hunter asked, confused.

"Hear who?" Sebastian asked. "No, cutting the chain would obviously be a waste of time, it's magic, so it would just magic back together the second you got it apart. What about cutting your hand off? The chain would fall off your wrist and you could easily put the pieces back together, I know you could, you cut off your thumb earlier and grew a new one. You know, like in Saw, only...not."

Hunter, are you okay? Jeff asked. You're quiet.

Sorry, Sebastian just had an idea.

Sebastian's there too?

Yeah, it's a long story.

No, I know, Ethan's here with me!

You found Ethan? Hunter asked.

More like he found me, Jeff replied. What's Sebastian's idea?

I'll get back to you. If you hear from me again, I can't get off the boat. If you don't, then I'm coming down.

Okay. Good luck.

You too.

Hunter opened his eyes and looked at Sebastian.

"Get in that cabinet over there and get me the sharpest knife you can find," Hunter instructed. "And I need a tourniquet, so… take off your shirt."

"You have tourniquets in your first aid kit," Sebastian said, bringing the big white box over along with a huge knife.

"Take off your shirt anyway," Hunter shrugged. Sebastian thought for a moment, and then, because reasons, decided to take off his shirt. And now Sebastian is shirtless, you're welcome.

Also, we're gonna skip about five minutes into the future here.

"Oh my God, what are you doing?!" Nick yelled as he became fully awake and noticed what Hunter and Sebastian were doing.

"Um…" Hunter said, looking down. "Changing my clothes." He threw this pants into the garbage with his and Sebastian's shirts and quickly pulled on his wetsuit.

"Well…" Sebastian said.

"I was changing my clothes," Hunter insisted.

"Okay, he was changing his clothes," Sebastian said. Sebastian kicked the magical chain, now attached to nothing and sitting harmlessly on the floor, and it slid across the floor towards the door.

A/N: ALRIGHT. Hunter! Good guy or bad guy? (laughs mischievously) Tell me what you think. Bonus points for why.

I'm going to update Even Angels Fall again today, probably, buttttttttttt: If there is another one of my fics you'd like me to update, send me a little review (you can review anonymously if you want, but I don't bite, you know) and I will try my hardest to update the fic of your choice. This is called bribery. I think.

Samantha.

Next time: idk something happens. I was literally just reading this through and I was like, damn, Ethan should be King, he's way older than Jeff and Eric, and then I was like, right he's not actually royal and then I laughed my face off. Sorry. bye.